Electric gas-light



(No Model.)

J. P. TIRRELL. Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus. No. 230,590. PatentedJuly 27,1880.

ZZZ/6711 0 7". W 92W setts, have invented certain Improvements in to itappertains to make and use the same.

1 and a battery, and in which are employed, in

to the burner and insulated from it and con- 2 her as when vibrated tomake and break cir- 0 mature connected with the gas-cock and ar- 3 5 abutton wired to an electric battery, while the ment of the armature whenattracted to one the second by pressure upon its button, the

STATES ITE ATENT JACOB P TIBRELL, OF SOMERVILLE, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE F.PINKHAM, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRlC GAS-LIGHTENG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATEON forming part of Letters Application filed May To all whomit may concern Beit known that I, J A0013 P. TIRRELL, a citizen of theUnited States, residingin Somerville, county of Middlesex, State ofMassachu- Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which The inventionrelates to apparatus for lighting gas by electricity in which thegas-cock is opened and closed by electric action upon a mechanicaldevice connecting with such cock combination with the burner,astationary metallic arm terminating in a platinum or other metallicpoint in near proximity to the orifice in the burner, this arm orelectrode beingfixed nected to one pole of a battery, and a movable. armor electrode, which is connected to the other pole of the battery, andpivoted or otherwise connected to the burner in such mancuit with thelatter and produce a spark to ignite the gas.

In this apparatus 1 employ two electromagnets and a vertically-arrangedvibrating arranged between the magnets, in combination with a movableand a fixed electrode, the latter being secured rigidly to andinsulatedfrom the body of the burner, and is connected with burner itself isconnected with the opposite magnet and a battery by a button, therebymaking connection with the movableelectrode, the whole being so arrangedthat the movemagnet, which is charged from the battery by a pressureupon its button, serves to open the gas-cock, and when attracted to theopposite magnet, by depolarizing the first and charging cock is closed,while as long as the first magnet remains charged by the pressure uponits knob the movable electrode vibrates with Patent No. 230,590, datedJuly 2'7, 1880.

22, 1880. (No model.)

rapid intermissions, and certain lighting of the gas is thereby insured.

Hy present improvements consist in the employment of a horizontalswinging arm attached to the lower end of the vertical gascock, this armbeing forked and straddling an upright bar erected upon the top of avibrating armature disposed between two pairs of electro-i'nagnets andcaused to vibrate by the closing and opening of an electro-circuit froma suitable battery, the vibration of the armature effectingreciprocation of the lever and cock.

My invention also consists in connecting the armature with the lower endof the movable electrode or arm in such manner that as the armaturemoves in onedirection and opens the .movement of the armature closes thecock and allo w's the movable arm to return by the stress of a springand make contact with the fixed arm.

My invention also consists in certain details of construction, ashereinafter more fully described and claimed.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figures 1, 2,and 3, front, side, and rear elevations of an apparatus embodying myimprovements. 7 tudinal vertical section through the vibrating armature.

in the said drawings, A. represents the gasburner, and B the cook orgate, which turns on a vertical axis, and is contained within the lowerpart of the burner, the duct for passage of gas taking a horizontal turnopposite the cock, as shown at U, for a short distance, and thendescends vertically, as shown at D, to permit of introduction of thehelices below the burner, and finally taking a second horizontaldirection, as shown at E below the magnets, or below a shelf, F, whichsupports such magnets.

ihe two magnets are shown at H H I I. The fixed insulated electrode orarm, which Fig. 4. is a longi- 8o terminates in a platinum point, a, isshown at G as an upright post erected upon a shelf, J, secured to theportion of the burner containing the cock. one of the wires (1. of onemagnetsay H H-bein g connected with the lower end of such post, whilethe other wire, I), of this magnet- H H is connected with one pole, f ofthe battery.

The wire of the opposite magnet, I I, which connects with one pole, g,of the battery, is shown at C while by its other wire, 61 it connectsthe other pole of the battery with some suitable part of thegas-burnersay ate in Figs. 2 and 5.

The movable or vibrating arm or electrode is formed at its upper endwith a horizontal bend, 0, and is shown at L as pivoted to the shelf J,and with its lower and shorter arm, 0, extending downward through a slotin such shelf, a spring, (1, being secured at one end to an adjacentpart of the burner, and hearing at its free end against the arm 0, toretract such arm when the attraction of the magnet for it ceases.

N is the armature of the magnets, and is a fiat plate disposedvertically between the two pairs of magnets, and pivoted at its loweredge to the shelf F, the upper part of this armature terminating in apost, 0, the upper extremity, f, of which is straddled by the forked endof a horizontal arm or lever, g, the base of which is secured to thelower end of the gascook. The post 6 further carries a horizontal bentor curved arm, h, which clasps about the extreme lower end of the arm 0of the movable electrode, the length of this arm being such that as thearmature stands at one extreme of its movement-that is, away from themagnets I Iit draws the movable electrodeaway from contact with thefixed electrode, and breaks contact between the two, and produces thespark, at the same time actuating the forked lever and opening the cock;and when the armature returns to its opposite extreme the cock isclosed, and the movable electrode returns to contact with the fixed bythe stress of the spring.

It will be seen that the vibrations of the armature are of such extentand its relations to the gas-cock and movable electrode are such thatthe cock is opened before the spark is produced. The purpose of this isto cause a sufficient volume of gas to issue from the burner in advanceof the spark to insure its ignition by the latter.

In order to sustain the cock Bin such a man ner that it will beextremely sensitive to the action of the armature, and also capable ofadjustment as to tension in turning, I provide a spring, 5, having oneend secured to the frame and the free end sustaining the valve B, asshown.

The operation of the apparatus is briefly as follows, supposing thegas-cock of the burner to be in such a position that the gas is shut offand it is desired to let on and ignite the gas, and the two electrodesbeing in contact: 0n closing the circuit through the electromagnet H Hby means of a suitable knob in any part of the circuit, the armaturewill be attracted in such a direction-that is, toward said magnetas tovibrate the forked lever and open the cock, and as the armature arrivesat the extreme of its movement in this direction its hooked arm engagesthe lower end of the movable electrode and actuates the latter in suchmanner as to cause its up- .per end to recede from the fixed electrodeand break contact with the latter. and by the inductive action of themagnet in the circuit a spark will be produced which ignites the gasissuing from the burner.

In the use of this device the pressure on the knob which charges themagnet H H should be continued for a few seconds, as this produces rapidintermittent vibrations of the movable electrode and a correspondingnumber of sparks, the object of this being to insure the lighting of thegas should the first spark fail to do so. In order that these continuedvibrations of the movable electrode and armature may be placed withouteffect upon the gascock, I form the notch in the forked end of the leverof sufficient width to permit of the vibrations of the armature withoutmoving such lever.

When it becomes necessary to shut off and extinguish the gas, by areverse movement of the cock the knob in the opposite circuit is pressedand the magnet I I charged, the effect of which is to attract thearmature in the opposite direction and close the cock, while at the sametime the movable electrode is returned by its spring to contact withthe' fixed electrode.

To provide against objectionable results following the failure of theelectric current to manipulate the armature and open or close thegas-cock, I add to the lower edge of such armature a horn or arm, [1 bymeans of whichthe armature may be made to open or close the gas-cockindependently of the electric current.

I claim- 1. In an electric-lighting gasburner, a magnet for turning thegas-cock by one electric impulse, combined with a fixed electrode, a,and a movable electrode, 0, normally in contact, and mechanismconnecting the armature with the movable electrode to break the contactbetween a and c the instant after the gas is turned on, and create aspark for ignition, substantially as described.

2. The magnet H H and armature N, provided with pin f, and valve B,provided with the bifurcated arm g, in combination with the movableelectrode 0 and spring (1 and yoke or link It, arranged on oppositesides of the lower end of the movable electrode, as set forth.

3. The magnets H H I I, armature N, mounted on a rock-shaft and providedwith pin f and yoke h, in combination with the gas-burner A, providedwith a vertical valve having a bifurcated arm, 9, and spring-supcock, incombination with pin b rigidly atport 5, fixed and insulated electrodeG, movtaehed to the armature and extending through 10 able electrode 0,pivoted at L, and spring (I, all the casing, as set forth.

constructed, arranged, and operated as and for the purpose described.JACOB TIRRELL' 4. The armature N, mounted on a rock-shaft \Vitnesses:

and bearing the arm 0, and pin f, engaging H. E. LODGE,

with a bifurcated arm, g, attached to the gas- A. G. MEAD.

